MOSCOW — Russia's decision to grant temporary asylum to Edward Snowden opened a fresh wound in Moscow's battered relations with the United States on Thursday, even as it ended the bizarre two-month odyssey that began when the former National Security Agency contractor leaked details of top-secret U.S. surveillance operations.

Snowden slipped away in a taxi Thursday from the Moscow airport that had been his home since June 23, bearing a Russian refu gee certificate granting him permission to stay in the country for one year.

It was a forceful rebuff to a series of private and public appeals by U.S. officials to have Snowden returned to the United States, where he faces espionage charges.

The White House is "disappointed" as Edward Snowden walks free out of the Moscow airport.

Obama administration officials denounced the decision to protect Snowden and hinted at repercussions, perhaps including the cancellation of a planned summit between President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Reaction from Congress was far harsher, with key lawmakers from both sides calling for a rethinking of relations with Moscow.

"Russia has stabbed us in the back," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. "Each day that Mr. Snowden is allowed to roam free is another twist of the knife."

The former technical contractor and admitted leaker of NSA documents has signaled that he intends to stay in Russia. One of his attorneys said Snowden has discussed taking language classes and finding work
, a country that has a history of harshly repressing its government critics as well as a record of mistreating other U.S. citizens who have sought asylum there.

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One of the few bright spots for U.S. officials was that Snowden's behavior — including his ability to release additional secrets — is certain to be controlled by his new hosts, former U.S. officials and Russia experts said.

"He will likely live under very restricted conditions with a lot of surveillance," said Andrew Kuchins, director of the Russian and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank. "If he steps out of line, Putin will crush him like a bug."

The day's developments began with an announcement by Anatoly Kucherena, an attorney for Snowden, that Russian authorities had granted a request for temporary refugee status.

The approval allows the former Maryland resident to live and work in Russia while his application for permanent political asylum is considered. Until Thursday, Snowden had been in limbo in the transit area of Moscow's sprawling Sheremetyevo International Airport, with his exact whereabouts known only to his attorneys and a handful of Russian officials.

The lawyer described Snowden as "the most-wanted man on the planet" and said he "needed time to adapt to Russian realities."

Snowden issued a brief statement through the anti-secrecy organization WikiLeaks, which has provided him with legal and logistical support.

"Over the past eight weeks, we have seen the Obama administration show no respect for international or domestic law, but in the end the law is winning," Snowden was quoted as saying. "I thank the Russian Federation for granting me asylum in accordance with its laws and international obligations."

In Washington, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration is "extremely disappointed that the Russian government would take this step."

"This move by the Russian government undermines a long-standing record of law enforcement cooperation" that had "recently been on the upswing" since the Boston Marathon bombings in April, he said.

Asked whether Obama would attend the September summit in Moscow, Carney said, "This is not a positive development ... and we are evaluating the utility of the summit."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., blasted the asylum decision as "a slap in the face of all Americans" and called on the administration to turn up the pressure on Moscow on a variety of fronts, including a renewed push for NATO expansion and new missile-defense programs in Europe.

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